Chapter One: Advice and Foolish Behavior
It was later now, but Red Hill was no less loud, if anything, it had grown louder. For the first time in a week Peter listened carefully to the noise of the colony. He heard arguments and fights, scolding and screams, but he was glad to hear them. These were the sounds of a colony that was in good health. When there was tension, people and rats might argue but there was mostly silence. Except for the ultrasonic keening of rats in desperate fear for their lives. He had been through hard times here in Red Hill, famines, wars and poverty more crushing than any human economic depression, but he was glad to see Red Hill was running smoothly as he was on the verge of taking such a risk.
He had had visions before, snippets and glimpses of the Rat Mother's wisdom. Commandments, advice, censure; he has seen them all. There have been times where he and others have been to directed to perform seemingly meaningless tasks, only to learn that they were small wheels in a long chain of agents acting under the direct impetus of Rat.
Now he knew his goal, he knew his mission. Mother Rat has blessed him with the solution to his problem, he would be triumphant or he would die, but he did not plan on failing his Mother. Peter Super knew above all that he could not act alone, some would be sent to serve by his side, others he would have to pursue. One way or the other he knew that he would need help, but if there were anyone in the world he had to trust it would be a pack of rats.
Red Hill was not luxurious. Its wealth was in the strength of its residents, not in their affluence. There were always rats out scrounging for food and supplies. Everyone looked after their needs and those of their nearest, but they all knew they could depend on each other in hard times. The tunnels were dirty and the rooms and chambers were often small and sparsely furnished. Odds and ends of mismatched furniture and other trash decorated chambers and corridors. What wasn't scrounged was stolen.
There was no sense property. Elders and mothers took priority, after that it was every rat for himself. This was one reason why no one had anything of value, ownership was seen as a circumstantial factor to all but the most engrained human born.
Some areas were recognized as aspect sections. The Knife Skulkers had a floating area around Old Snow, and because of their capacity and willingness to enforce punishments on any who offended them they were seen as welcome to have it. The Tunnel Runners had their map room, where Sheila Walks-In-Light, Head Scout, coordinated their reports and fresh arrivants could rest before hitting the road again. The Warriors were given clear berth around their separate maze of tunnels where the Warlord, McMaley, trained his Warriors.
Finally there was The Heart. The deepest part of the Red Hill nest. If ever Weaver spawn or Garou overran the place it would be the last rallying point. It was the most secure, the most confusing, the deepest warren of tunnels this, the largest nest of Boston, could imagine.
The reason for this was that here were quartered the Shadow Seers and the mother rats. Here further generations of Ratkin were born. Here the Mystic and her flock of Shadow Seers and students explored the darkest mysteries of rat kind. Here the wails of holy Rapture mingled with the cries of the newborn.
He was not unfamiliar to this area, as a young Metis he had been expected to aid in the care and tending of the young. And care and tend he had. It was here that he had first met Jane Classic. He had been there when her mother had named her, nothing more than one of a dozen blind pups. Now he ran through narrow passages on four paws intent on seeing her again.
Recently he had been mired in personal difficulties and she had been deep in instruction by Sally Wages herself. His vision had told him many things, including that he should go take her with him.
He neared the area usually used for lessons and decided this might better be handled on two feet, so he shifted to his natural form. He felt most comfortable and best able to take on challenges of a frustrating nature when he wore the skin he had been born with. The image of a seven-foot tall beast that was a mixture of rat and human, with horns to boot, would cause humans to flee in fear (a violation of Ratkin regulations). Here it was acceptable and would help him in the struggle he knew was coming.
Hunched over in the low corridor he began to sniff for Jane's scent. It did not take his sensitive nose long to pick up her trail. He had known she would be here, not because of information from his vision, but because she was the Shadow Seer with the most potential in all of Boston, perhaps all of the eastern United States, he thought with the pride of an older sibling. As such she was constantly down here in The Heart of the nest, learning whatever anyone would teach her. Whenever, that is, she wasn't out in the streets caring for those less fortunate.
He came to a door near the end of the corridor. Here Jane's scent was joined by the voice and scent of Sally Wages. He stood out of view in an unobtrusive manner.
"Now concentrate, the trick to this part is concentrating, all the answers lie in our blood girl." She paused as if appraising. "Harder, everything any rat has ever known is locked away in you and everyone of us." Sally Wage's tone was crueler and more pushing than any Harvard professor, so Peter had been told. He could smell the sweat of exertion, even though he doubted Jane had moved a muscle in several hours.
Not unobtrusive enough as it would prove. "Peter!" with that exuberant cry Jane's pink form collided with him in a bear hug. And a bear hug it was, despite that he was almost two feet taller than her in this shape. She was in her human form, and quite naked at that. He had never acquired the squeamishness for nudity some human born seemed to have, but neither did he have the total disregard rat born had. Jane was one of the latter and saw no problem with walking around naked if it wasn't too cold. This was known to create considerable distraction, as Jane was considered to be attractive in any shape.
Her unusual blue eyes looked up at him, "I'm so glad you're here"
"Well I am not," Wages' voice conveyed that that was a great understatement. "What possible reason could you have for interrupting my tutelage young mister Super?"
"Peter just came down here to say hello," Jane tried as a measure of conciliation. "I interrupted by running out here to see him. It's been ages since we've seen each other. I was just too excited to wait."
Wages was unimpressed. "Excited or not you are my pupil, and I should hope you value our lessons more than the friendship of this Metis."
Before Jane could react to the not-so-rhetorical rhetorical question slash insult Peter jumped in. "As it happens, Mystic Wages, I had a vision." Sally Wages stopped dead at this. Her look was one of doubt, but she waited to hear more. "Our Mother has instructed me with a quest and I require Jane's help." Jane held her breath. The Mystic's silence became too much for Peter, so he continued. "I think I have to get back into action, but I have something to do for Rat," he was unsure of himself. The vision had been absolute, but now before the unblinking gaze of and Elder he was less sure. "I need Jane's help if I'm going to succeed, so I need to ask you." Now he was truly on thin ice.
"This may take some time, and as such I need to request that Jane be released from your instruction so that she can join my pack." At this Wages jumped.
"But you do not have a pack Knife Skulker Super," she smirked. "In fact you are currently relieved of your post as I recall." Jane clung tighter to him, he knew she was trying to offer support but even her small frame suddenly felt a burden. "Old Snow took you away your status after that little incident."
"I'm better now," he growled. "I'm going to Snow as soon as I'm done here," the statement was a like a weapon, he held it out at the end of his reach, hoping it would keep Wages at bay while he had a chance to regroup. "Rat has shown me what she wants. Soon the other members of my pack will be here and it won't be long before we're in business." With that last he knew for certain that he was ready to face this new phase of his life, it was time to get back to work.
He expected Wages to bicker further, to argue, to claim Jane was indispensable. All she said was: "as you say," and turned on her heel. Peter was truck by the anti-climax, Rat must surely be watching out for him.
"Oooh, Peter!" squealed Jane. "How brave!" If anything she held him even tighter. He began to wonder if she had secretly been lifting weights. He looked down at her. She stared back up at him. They both realized she was still naked. "You go talk to Old Snow," she said as she ducked back into the room she had first come out of. "Mystic Wages will no doubt have some last things to tell me, and I need to say some goodbyes, but I'll meet you out by the door." She had disappeared.
He was bewildered, yet he had faced down an Elder. Now he was about to embark on a quest with Jane, but first he reminded himself, he had to get his rig back. He shifted down onto four paws and ran to find Snow. It was time for him to skulk again.